According to the U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research, Richmond, Va. was ranked as the “most contented area in the country” and contented equals happiness. What makes Richmond the most contented place in the country?
Fellow Richmonder, Teresa Bonifas, explained why she thought they were ranked as the most contented place in the country. “The best thing about Richmond is there is always something to do at any given time. The southern charm and history of Richmond along with the many festivals, restaurants, outdoor activities and central location will make anyone fall in love with this city.” Bonifas continued, “Richmond is a place where people say please and thank you and give an appreciative wave when driving while also coming together to support the city’s many programs.”
Here are some other facts from visitrichmondva.com:
- Richmond has hot summers and generally mild winters.
- In September 2007, Richmond was ranked the third-best city for business by MarketWatch.
- The Richmond Region has more than 18,000 hotel rooms and 900 restaurants with prices to fit every budget. They also have a growing food truck and craft brewery scene.
- Richmond is located along the James River, which offers bike trails, hiking and nature trails, various water sports and scenic overlooks.
- Several colleges and universities call Richmond home, including Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and University of Richmond.
- Richmond has a long, rich history, including being the capital of the confederacy in the Civil War. Richmond offers several Civil War attractions throughout the area.
- There are six Fortune 500 companies that are headquartered in the Richmond Region, which is among the top 15 cities in the nation with the most Fortune 500 company headquarters.
- The Region hosts a variety of sporting events throughout the year, including two NASCAR races and Dominion Riverrock, and is home to minor league sports teams Richmond Flying Squirrels (baseball) and Richmond Kickers (soccer).
- There are more than 80 attractions in the Richmond Region. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Henricus Historical Park, the James River, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Kings Dominion and numerous Civil War sites are just a small sampling of all the Region has to offer.
- Parenting.com named Richmond as “America’s healthiest city and one of the best cities for families” in 2010.
- Trail Runner ranked Richmond as one of the nation’s “Top Seven Cities for Trail Runners” in 2009.
- MovieMaker named Richmond one of the nation’s “Top 10 Cities for Filmmakers” in 2011.
- Forbes.com ranked Richmond as one of the nation’s “100 Best Bang-For-The-Buck Cities” in 2009.
Richomonders have a lot to be proud of and have no problem showing it. “Richmonders love showing their pride whether it is displaying a RVA sticker on their car, flying a U of R flag on their house, or walking down the street in VCU apparel,” Bonifas said.
Below is the top ten list of the “Most Contented Area in the Country. ”For more about the Happiest and Unhappiest places in the country,visit http://www.cbsnews.com/news/passage-the-happiest-and-unhappiest-cities/
1. Richmond-Petersburg, Va.
2. Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News, Va.
3. Washington, D.C.
4. Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
5. Atlanta, Ga.
6. Houston, Texas
7. Jacksonville, Fla.
8. Nashville, Tenn.
9. West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, Fla.
10. Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon, N.J.
References:
http://www.visitrichmondva.com/media/media-kit/fastfacts/
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/passage-the-happiest-and-unhappiest-cities/
